My profound and heartfelt greetings to everyone here. Thank you for joining me to celebrate the life and legacy of my dear aunt Mrs. Anna Lucretia Sherman-Richards, who was an inspirational figure in the lives of our family and friends of the City of Monrovia, Liberia. She lived for ninety four (94) wonderful and helpful years on earth. All of us here admired Aunty Anna’s devotion to her family and her church, the First United Methodist Church, Ashmun Street, Monrovia.

There was never a time when she wasn’t taking care of her children, especially Marbue, Wiyata, Chauncey and all others who were born and or raised in her wonderful household on the Tubman Boulevard, Monrovia and abroad.

I remember specifically on several occasions, Aunty Anna would scold Marbue and us for coming home a little late, back then in the 1960s. She always said nothing was more important than family, school and church; and that is certainly true. That’s the legacy our Aunty Anna leaves behind: Her shining family members. I know we’ll all remember her, even though she’s no longer with us. We can and will, still see our Aunty Anna in her sons and daughters.

Let’s make sure she’s never forgotten.

May her soul rest in perfect and perpetual peace.

My dear family, on behalf of Marbue and Lena Brown, Joy And Ken Grimes Eke, Connie and me – and all of our families, “Never Mind Yah!” Also, we give God thanks, "plenty," for the life and legacy of our dear Cousin Anna. 

As we celebrate Cousin Anna’s life and legacy today, please allow me to take us back in time for a bit, starting all the way back in 1865.  The first Anthony Barclay emigrated from Barbados to Liberia in 1865, with his wife Sarah, and their 11 children.  Granddaughters of one of Anthony and Sarah’s sons, and one of Anthony and Sarah’s daughters, Cousin Anna and our mother, Mary Antoinette Grimes Brown Sherman, were close cousins and best friends – from childhood, until parted by death in 2004.  Cousin Anna was a granddaughter of President Arthur Barclay; our mother was granddaughter of Arthur Barclay’s youngest sister, Ella Barclay Grimes.

Cousin Anna was also godmother of our only sister, Lducia Brown, and our Mother was godmother of Cousin Anna’s first daughter, Wiyata.  It is noteworthy that Cousin Anna and Cousin joe’s firstborn, Marbue, was named after the youngest brother of Henry, Rudolph, and Mary Antoinette Grimes.  

The Richards home was one of our homes growing up, whether the home at Coconut Beach, Monrovia, or later, the home at Sinkor – a home we were welcomed and made to feel special at, without invitation, at any time, all the time.  Marbue, Wiyata, and Joann were earliest playmates of Lducia, Joy, and me.  Marbue Brown and Dawn Richards were cherished later additions to our growing families, during our early years.

Cousin Anna and Cousin Joe were a consistent source of love and affection for us.  They were also an incomparable source of help and comfort, especially through two of the biggest traumas of our Brown family life; the sudden death of our father at age 46, in 1962; and Lducia being hit by a car, while crossing the street to the Richards home, and dying two days later, in 1967. 

Cousin Anna took Lducia to be with her family for several days, immediately after the death of our father in 1962.  Our mother, Marbue, and me lived at the Richards home (offered because of its proximity to the hospital where Lducia was hospitalized) from April 1 to April 3, 1962, when Lducia died. 

By the grace of God, the world did not come to an end, neither in 1962, nor in 1967.  There have been many years since then, of sharing joys, achievements, and assorted milestones, as Cousin Anna, and our mother, watched us, their children, grow up to adulthood, get married, become parents, and even become grandparents; many years of passing along to us a legacy of love, affection, integrity, faithfulness, and family.  Cousin Anna’s smile, warmth, love, open arms, and sincere interest in us were constant throughout the years that we were blessed to share with her. 

Our dear Marbue & Gleneda; Wiyata; Joann & Chauncey; Dawn & Joseph; and Carl, thank you yah!  The first of God's Ten Commandments with a promise is, “Honor your Father, and your Mother.”  We have witnessed you do that, as a team, to the best of your abilities.  You, and your children, have been, and will be blessed for what you have done.  Cousin Anna’s baton has been passed to your very capable hands.  Put God Almighty, the God of the Bible, first, for every one of your steps, for the rest of your journeys, and finish well. 

We thank God for Cousin Anna.  We will miss her!  We thank God that she left us with all of you!  We thank God for you!

May the Lord Jesus comfort your hearts at this time of separation, until, by His grace, you are reunited in the reunion that is guaranteed to all those who know and love him.

Nana Nana Nana! 
Sweet Nana. 
I remember you were the one who taught me how to make the best scrambled eggs ever. Growing up I wasn't taught to put milk in eggs and I remember that day I was making eggs for everyone and you walked up to me and just poured milk in my eggs. I was so shocked. Like why Nana why are you putting milk in my eggs. 
And ever since then I always put milk in my eggs the way you taught me. To some this doesn't mean anything but to me it means everything to me. I was missing out all these years on delicious scrambled eggs until you just came without a word just pouring milk in my eggs. 
Of course we have many more memories together but no one ever knows why certain memories just stick so hard and this is one of them. 
You were very much like a grandma to me. You watched me and Dominique become besties in high school all the way to me having my kids. I feel blessed to have been able to have the conversations we had about marriage and a being supportive wife and raising a family. You and Daddy joe have created such a beautiful family that I get to be apart of. 
Thank you Nana for just being you.
Lots of love and May you finally rest in peace! You will be missed but surely never forgotten.